Animal-trap.



J. DE ST. LEGIER,

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1913.

1,088,477. Patented Feb. 24, 19M

0.? A AL WITNESSES 'IIVVENTOI? 572 02:? J7. 69667" I By man/ms COLUMBIAPLANOIJRAPH 60-. WASHINGTON. D- C.

lUhlltTlE JQHN DE ST. IJEG'IER, 0F HICKSVILLE, NEW YORK.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

resents.

Specification of Letters Patent.

""atented Feb. 241-, 1914:-

Application filecl June 25, 1913. Serial No. 775,663.

To all whom it may concem lie it known that 1, JOHN DE ST. Lucien, acitizen of the United States, and resident of l-licltsville, in thecounty of Nassau and titate of New York, have invented a new andImproved Animal-Trap, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved animaltrap, which is simple and durable in construction, exceedingly sensitiveand arranged for trapping large or small animals, such mammals andbirds, and arranged to provide access to the trap from any directionwhen in set position, and to trap an animal alive and without danger ofinjury to its valuable fur or feathers.

In order to accomplish the desired result use is made of a base providedwith upwardlyextending guiding means, a bottomless cage mounted to slideup and down on the said guiding means, a supporting and releasing devicefor supporting the said cage bodily a distance above the said base andfor releasing the said cage to allow the latter to drop down onto thesaid base, and locking means for locking the said cage in trapped closedposition.

A practical embodimentof the invention is represented in theaccompanying draw ings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the animal trap with the cage raised andset and parts of the cage broken out. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of thesame; and Fig. 3 is a central section of the same on the line 3-3 ofFig. l.

The base A of the animal trap is preferably flat and supports in itscenter a post 13 on which is mounted to slide the hub C of a bottomlesscage 0, preferably provided with a solid top C and a rim C dependingfrom the top and preferably formed of wire netting or the like. When theanimal trap is set the cage C is in raised position, as plainlyindicated in Fig. 1, and in order to hold or support the cage in thisposition and to release the cage to allow the latter to drop, thefollowing arrangement is made: On the hub C of the cage G is secured alateral arm D adapted to rest on the peripheral edge of a roller Emounted to turn on the free end.of a lever F fulcrumed at F on the baseA adjacent the post B. On the lever F intermediate its fulcrum I and theroller E is arranged a bait holder G, preferably in the form of a coilof wire, into which the meat or other bait is screwed so that the endsof the meat project at the ends of the coil. In order to hold the cage Gin raised position the lever F is swung upward into approximatelyvertical position with the arm D resting on top of the periphera]. edgeof the roller E.

hen an animal steps onto the base A and pulls on the bait held in thebait holder G then a downward swinging movement is given to the lever Fso that the roller E rolls out from under the arm D to allow the cage Cto drop and thus confine the animal within the cage. It is understoodthat when the cage C drops the lower edge of its rim C moves intoengagement with the upper surface of the base it so that the latter nowcloses the bottom of the cage to prevent the escape of the trappedanimal. lhe base A is preferably provided with an upturned flange Ail'm'uediately outside of the lower edge of the rim C at the time thelater rests on the base A to prevent lifting of the cage by animals fromthe outside.

It will be noticed that when the cage C is in raised position, as shownand described, free access is had from all around the cage to theinterior thereof, and in order to attract a number of animals at a timeuse is preferably made of a second bait holder H, of wire netting, andattached to the base A adjacent the post B and at the side opposite fromthe one on which the lever F is located.

In order to lock the cage C when in trapped closed position, thefollowing arrangement is made: On the upper end of the post B aresecured springs 1 preferably secured at their upper ends to the post atthe inside thereof, the post being for this purpose made hollow andprovided with slots B for the passage of the springs I. The lower endsof the springs I are provided with inwardly-extending angular lugs 1adapted to rest on the top extension C of the hub C at the time the cageC is in lowermost position and the lower edge of the rim C rests on thebase A. When it is desired to raise the cage G into set position it isnecessary for the operator to press the springs I inwardly to allow thehub C to slide up on the post the desired distance, that is, until thearm D rests on the roller E now in uppermost position, by the operatorswinging the lever F into a vertical position. The springs I areconfined within the post B by the action of the hub C as long as thecage C is in raised position, but when the cage C drops down into closedposition then the springs I are released from the hub C and swingoutward so that the lugs I engage the top of the hub extension (3* thusholding the cage C against upward movement so as to prevent the trappedanimals from escaping.

By providing a roller E for the arm 1) to rest on ail-exceedinglysensitive connection is had, as it requires but little power to swingthe lever F downward to disengage the roller E from the arm D as thesaid roller turns freely on the lever F. By providing the bait holder Gin the form of a coil of wire a piece of meat can be readily screwedinto the coil so that portions of the meat project between adjacentconvolutions of the coil, whereby the convolutions are practicallyhidden and consequently the bait holder is rendered practicallyinvisible. it will also be noticed that by constructing the bait holderG in the manner described the bait cannot easily be pulled out by ananimal as it is securely held by the convolutions of the coil.

The trap shown and described is very simple in construction, composed ofcomparatively few parts, not liable easily to get out of order, and thetrap can be readily Set for trapping large or small animals such asquadrupeds and birds.

The upper end of the post B is preferably provided with an eye B for theattachment of a string to allow of suspending the trap from a suitablesupport instead of resting it on the ground, and to allow of submergingthe trap with the animals in water for drowning the trapped animalswhenever it is desired to do so.

Although the animal trap shown is circular in shape it is evident thatany desired shape may be given to the trap, and it may be made of anysuitable material.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. An animal trap, comprising a base provided with a central guide post,a bottomless cage mounted to slide up and down on the said guide post,the lower edge of the said cage resting on the said base at the time thecage is in lowermost position and the said lower edge of the cage beinga distance above the said base at the time the cage is raised to providean annular entrance to the interior of the trap, a lever fulcrumed onthe said base and provided at its free end with a friction roller, andan arm on the said cage and adapted to rest on the peripheral edge ofthe said roller at the time the cage is in raised position, the saidlever being provided intermediate its fulcrum and the said roller with abait holder.

2, An animal trap provided with a cage having vertical movement and asupporting and tripping mechanism for the said cage to support thelatter in raised position and to allow the cage to drop, the saidmechanism comprising a lever with a bait holder on the leverintermediate the ends thereof, a roller on the free end of the lever,and an arm on the cage adapted to rest on the peripheral edge of theroller to support the cage in raised position at the time the lever isin upright position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN DE ST. LEGIER. lVitnesses:

FRED HENRY REINHARD, FREDERICK SAUNDERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

